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Arctic Edibles *Video*

When you think of the Arctic Circle you mainly think of snow and ice and Santa. Well, that is the Arctic Circle 8 months out of the year. But in the summer months, the Arctic Circle is surprising lush and green. Here’s a few of the delectables that Laplanders like to eat:

Reindeer Meat

Reindeer are seriously everywhere in Finland, but mostly on the highways – which makes driving tricky. The reindeer venture into the roads where there’s a bit of a breeze to escape the mammoth-sized mosquitoes.

Reindeer also regularly appear on menus. The gamey meat is sautéed and traditionally served over mashed potatoes, usually along with a loganberry sauce. I tried it one night and my helping was pretty tasty!

Cloudberries

Finns get a little crazy about cloudberries. And I could see why. The berries are delicious and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants.

During the late summer months, they go into the humid wetlands to pick the golden berries. Most are looking to bring home kilo-loads for their own enjoyment, but some are out to make a little money. Cloudberries can fetch up to 15 euro / kilo.

With this type of frenzy, the best spots for picking are closely guarded secrets – not to be shared even with close friends. Here I am during one of our gathering expeditions, searching for the elusive berry:

Blueberry soup may not sound so good, but it is! We had it with us when hiking and mixed it in with our porridge in the morning. I saw other hikers drinking the hot bubbly soup from thermoses in the afternoon break.

As a super food, blueberries are hard to beat in terms of health qualities and I’m a huge fan. But until I went camping in Lapland, I hadn’t really thought of using them in a soup. Here’re two recipes for you to try: